Lingua Magicka
A world built around freeform ritual spellcasting where language matters. Explore and survive in a high-fantasy dark ages, find new powers, and name your heir before your work takes you.
Make your way in the world with forbidden magic
The people know what you are - a ritualist, a cunning-woman, a scholar of saints or demons. Every place has need of your work but one wrongly chosen stone can end your life, and the powers you contact are fickle. Gather the funds for a hovel to work your way to a tower worthy of the name, explore dungeons and ruins filled with secrets, traps, and horrors, collect gems to contain greater powers with stronger workings, and find an heir before your hubris ends you.
You are not and never will be an invincible warrior - try to solve things with your wits or gather help, possibly as payment. Watch the power you are contacting - a backlash will destroy stones and deal damage equal to it. A ritual needs a power's name, an offering to it, and a request - each can be expanded, but each sentence you add to a ritual needs another stone in your circle. Dungeons are the best place to find these and other treasures.